Combined ditch cleaner and former.



IVI. SCI-HATIER.

BINED DITCH CLEA Patented Sept. Il, i917.

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IVI. SCHLATTEH.

COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-26. I9I2.

Patented Sept. 11, 191'?.

I2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IVI. SCHLATTER.

COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.25. I9I2.

lwm. Patented Sept. 11, 191?.

I2 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Minesses. 2f/v JM. /Deers 3 Wl. SCHLATTER.

COMBINE-D DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION F|LED nEc.26.1912.

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l2 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Nl. SCHLAiTER.

COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

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COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.25

PaIfenImIDcpI. Il, 191?.

i I um IVI. SCHLATTER.

COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26 1912.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

I2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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Patented Sept. 11, 19H2 12 SHEETS -SHEEY EN SCHLATTER COMBINED DHCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

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COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPUcATloN FILED Dc.26. 1912.

11% Patented Sept. 1l, 191'?.

IVI. SCHLATTER.

COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

l2 SHEETS-SHEET l0.

IVI. SCHLATTER.

COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. I9I2.

31.239.329?. Paten-red Sept. 11,1917.

I2 SHEETS-SHEET I l.

JMA/Wt,

M. SCHLATTER.

COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1912. LQD/WI, Pandsept. 11,191?.

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fr sans maar cinicao MGSES SCHLATTER, OF HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA'.

' COMBINED DITCH CLEANER AND FORMER.

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To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, MOSES SGHLATTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hollywood, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Combined Ditch'Cleaner and Former, of which the following is a speciication.

ln certain sections of the United States and other parts of the world, where arid or desert land is reclaimed to agriculture by a system of irrigating ditches or canals leading or distributing water onto the said -arid land, or in sections where systems of canals or ditches are used for drainageor any other purposes, considerable inconvenience, delay and loss of wealth is often caused by the deposit of sediment from the contained water, which deposit tends to choke the canal or ditch so as to seriously impair its watercarrying capacity. In connection with irrigation projects where a definite quantity of water must be in constant readiness to How upon and support a growing crop, the loss sometimes occasioned by the aforesaid choking of the ditch may be considerable. Particularly does this problem become veXatious in such regions as the Imperial Valley in California, the Yuma district in Arizona, and other sections irrigated by the waters of the Colorado river, the sedimentary deposit from these waters being abnormally heavy and being removed only with diiiiculty from the canal or ditchin which it settles. When wet, this peculiar deposit is sticky and waxy and hangs together quite tenaciously, these properties accounting for the diiiculty of vits removal from the ditch. When such a deposit is handled with a shovel or other removing implement, the aforesaid properties cause it to cling to the implement and difficulty is experienced in detaching and discharging it from the same. Water, of

course, is constantlystanding in, and may be demanded from these ditches, practically at 1 any time, so that the cleaning operation must be performed on the wet deposit, and the frequency with which the ditches in this locality become choked, together with the diiculty of handling the wet deposit, make the up-keep of these ditches quite expensive.

The ditches are usually constructed with a standard bottom width, rangingL approximately from three to ten feet, but the width across the top varies considerably, either at dii'erent points along the same ditch or in Specification of Letters Patent.

ratcntea'scpt, ia, mit.

Application filed December 26, 1912. Serial No. 738,763.

, different ditches having the same bottom width, the aforesaid variation depending lon the skill and judgment of the builder. In the usual mode of constructing these ditches, one or more horses are attached to a scraper and are driven back and forth transversely or perpendicularly across the line on which the ditch is to be constructed. An operator manipulates the scraper in such manner as to draw the sand or soil to either side of the contemplated ditch and dumps same there. As this scraping action continues, a longitudinal groove is gradually depressed deeper and deeper along the prospective ditch line and into the originally level sur face of the land, and the matter removed from said groove is dumped ,equally on either sideA of the groove to form elevated mounds above the level of the land. The

space between the crests of said mounds and extending down into said longitudinal groove, is termed the ditch, and the mounds rising above the normal level of the land are termed the ditch banks.

Ditchesconstructed in accordance with the above method contain certain inherent defects now to be described.

The bottom of such a ditch is scraped as fiat and horizontal as the operators skill will permit, and the sides, merging into and including the ditch banks, are built `along a gradual upward slope in order that the horses can climb it and drag the scraper up onto it in the course of the ditch construction.

As a rule, the sides of such a ditch are inclined less than thirty degrees with a horizontal plane, and will allow the water to spread out wide onto the gradually sloping submerged sides. This will present an eX- cellent field on which weeds and aquatic foliage will grow fthickly.

These aquatic growths oer considerable resistance to the flow of water by and adjacent the same, and the rate of fluid flow in their portion of the ditch being thereby materially decreased, the depositing tendency of the water will be materially and proportionately increased.

Furthermore, the thick foliage will act as an excellent screen across the flowing water and will collect and deposit in the ditch much sediment that might otherwisehave escaped onto the surrounding land in the natural course of irrigation.

From the foregoing two paragraphs, it

is seen that the inherent gradual slope of the ditch sides, as originally constructed, causes an unduly rapid depositing action and the consequent rapid choking of the ditch materially increases the annual expense of the same.

Furthermore, the water spreads wide across such a ditch and the surface from which evaporation occurs is large, so that the water lost into the hot dry air of the desert will be considerable. Water in these arid fields having a considerable value the annual loss from this excessive evaporation is appreciable.

As at present cleaned, heavy scrapers or other implements are adapted to travel along the ditch, the implements being principally supported on one bank only, and the cleaning being performed by drawing the sedimentary deposit upward and outward onto that ditch bank whereon the cleaner is principally supported.v These implements clean only that half of the ditch ad]acent the bank on which they are principally supported, and are therefore drawn along the ditch twice, once on each ditch bank, so as to effect the cleaning of the whole.

The operation of these cleaners involves certain defects as follows Being supported principally on one ditch bank, and the cleaning means. re-acting downwardly and transversely of the ditch, an undue weight or force is created on one ditch bank, and the said force acting downwardly and transversely inward, tends more or less to cringe, crumble or slide the bank sidewise into the ditch.

Furthermore, these cleaners merely remove the deposit from the ditch and in no way improve its original shape or remove the inherent defects aforesaid.

My invention relates to practical eiicient means for restoring into operative condition any ditch or canal, located anywhere, and used for conducting water in the course of irrigation, drainage, or any other projects, which ditch may have been choked by a deposit of silt, mud or sediment of any description and thereby rendered incapable of carrying its requisite water capacity. More particularly, however, my invention relates to a ditch cleaner and former for removing any silt, mud or sediment having the sticky, tenacious and clinging properties of the Imperial or Yuma deposit referred to above; and the particular cleaner embodying my invention embraces also means adapted to coperate with the said silt-removing means for simultaneously operating on the bottom and on both sides of the dltch, so as to form or re-form the original shape and contour of the ditch and avoid its'inherent defects referred to above.

An object of my invention is to provide means for handling any grade of wet 0r generally referred to as buckets in the following description and in the appended claims, and the said buckets are adapted to scoop into and remove the silt from the ditch, and are provided with novel means for scrapting, loosening or detaching the silt from their sides when the buckets reach their discharglng position. l.

Another object is to provide means which shall simultaneously form or re-form the original gradually sloping sides of the ditch, so as to obviate the inherent aforesaid defects of same. To this end l provide novel forming means constituting two knives, one for each side of the ditch, and each having a downwardly and an inwardly extending cutting edge adapted to form the ditch sides along a downwardl and inwardly extending slope inclined 0 degrees or more with respect to a horizontal plane. Though more advantageous than the original shape, it is not perfectly satisfactory to form the ditch side and bank into a substantially vertical surface since the bank and sides then tend to crumble and cave inward toward the ditch.

Another object is to provide means for removing the silt along a perfectly straight side, and the wheel also .having horizontal loo straight-edged buckets extending from both v sides and adapted to scoop into and remove the silt from said ditch, the horizontal and straight scooping edge of the buckets having the same radial distance from the wheel axis as the extreme edge of the dividers.

Another object is to provide means for building up and reshaping the banks and sides of the original ditch so as to conform more thoroughly to a perfect ditch shape. To this end I provide novellyrmounted and 4novelly constructed conveying means for carrying toward either ditch bank the silt which has been removed from the ditch, said conveying means having removable bottom sections whereby the silt may be discharged onto or at different distances from either ditch bank. Y

Another object is to simultaneously clean the ditch, and form each and every part of resaca? same so that the whole is made to conform to a perfect ditch sha-pe. To this end I provide a novel operative, practical and inn genious combination of means for removing the deposited silt; for' forming` the sides alongfa seventy degree slope, for forming the bottom on a perfectly horizontal level lineacross the ditch; and for building up and extending the original ditch banks on either side of said ditch.

Another object is to provide a cleaner adapted to travel along the ditch said cleaner being mounted on wheels equally su-pported on both sides of the ditch, so that each bank, or each built-up addition to the bank, maybe rolled hard under a pure vertical force, and wherein the sideward, cringing and sliding tendency of the cleaners now in use, may be avoided.

Another object is to provide a cleaner for ditches having one standard width across the bottom, said cleaner being equally and always supported on both sides ofsaid ditch regardless of the varying distances between the ditch sides or banks. To this end I mount the silt-removing means on a novel ditch vehicle, the same having forward and rearward supporting wheels transversely adjustable on the vehicle and means for permitting the transverse adjustment of said Wheels. In view of thisfeature also the wheels at one time may be run on one portion of the ditch banks, and at another time lon another portion of the ditch banks, so that the built-up additions to said banks may, on successive traverses of the cleaner,

be rolled hard andmade a permanent portion of the bank. f

l Another object is to provide a cleaner,

well-adapted to travel along a ditch and to always receive support from each of its four supporting wheels regardlessof the altitude variations in the upper contour of the ditch banks. To this end I provide a novel ditch vehicle adapted to carry the silt removing means, said vehicle comprising a :tra-me having two rear supporting wheels and a forward two-wheeled truc-k pivotally attached to said main frame in -sjich manner that the truck will always be maintained perpendicular to the length of the main frame, and in such manner that the truck is susceptible of a pivotal motion about an aXis running centrally through the main frame and parallel to the length of said frame. The wheels of such avehicle will always rest ,on the ditch banks and perform their supporting function whether their points of support lie in a single plane or not, and in view of the great weight of the whole device and the usual uneven upper contour of the banks, this feature becomes essential to the successful operation of a ditch cleaner.

Another object is to provide a ditch .cleaner which may be readily and connovel adjustable steering means for the4 dirigible wheels on the forward truck, said I dirigible wheels being so mounted that the operator may cause an unlimited rotation of said wheels about a vertical axis passing through the centers.'

Another object is to eiiect, in a sin le ditch cleaner, a novel operative and 1ngenious combination of means whereby the same may be adapted to travel along ditches \having variable distances between the ditch banks; and adapted to receive adequate and constant support from its four wheels regardless of altitude variations in the upper contour of the banks; and also adapted to `be conveniently steered under the peculiar service to which ditch cleaners are subject. g Another object is to provide a ditch cleaner whereby a substantially fiat, level and horizontal bottom may be formed along the length 'of the ditch, regardless of alti tude variations in the upper contour of the ditch banks. To this end I provide a vehicle having silt removing and silt convey ing means adjustably mounted on same, and

nhaving power-driven means connected to said silt-removing and said silt conveying means whereby power may be applied to either raise or lower the vertically adjustable silt removing and silt conveying means simultaneously and rapidly, an attendant applying said power in the appropriate dii rection to lower or raise the silt removing and silt conveying means as the vehicle travels over high or low points on the banks.

Another object is to provide a cleaner which shall eii'ectively scoop into and remove the silt from a ditch containing water, without removing any appreciable quantity of the water from the ditch. To this end I provide novel rotatably mounted buckets operated in such manner that substantially all the water that has been scooped along with the silt shall spill back into the ditch. In view of the value of irrigation water this feature is essential to the successful operation of a ditch cleaner. v

Other objectsv may become clear by reading the following detail description, and by inspecting the drawings of this application.

The 'accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.`

Figure l is a side elevation of my assembled ditch cleaner and former and shows a longitudinal section along the ditch, one bank having been partly removed to display the forming and silt removing means in actual operation. In front of the forming and silt removing means the interior of the ditch is shown in its original and silted condition and behind the forming and silt removing means the ditch is shown in its final formed and cleaned condition.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of my assembled ditch cleaner and former and shows a transverse section across the ditch banks indieatingv the ditch shape as originally constructed, and also the reformed ditch shape after my cleaner and former has operated on,.same.' This figure shows alsotheupbuilt additions to the ditch bank which may be constructed by my ditch cleaner.

Fig. 3 -is a plan view of my assembled ditch cleaner and former.

Fig. 4 is a partial front elevation of my ditch cleaner and former and shows the ivotal mounting between the main frame and the forward truck of the vehicle.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan of the cleaning or silt removing means usedin my ditch cleaner and former. The right-hand half of this figure shows in full the wheel, the dividers, and the buckets comprising said silt removing means, and the left-hand half shows an axial section taken through the same.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the cleaning or silt removing means shown in Fig. 5. rllhe right-hand half of this figure shows in full the wheel, the dividers and the buckets comprising said silt removing means and the left-handhalf of said ligure shows an axial section through same.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail plan of one of the buckets used on my cleaning or silt removing means. This gure indicates said bucket attached to the wheel and divider and shows the means for resetting the bucket parts after the silt has been loosened, scraped and discharged from same.

Fig. 8 is an end-detailed elevation of the bucket shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a section of the same bucket on line w9-w9, Fig. 7, the full lines indicating the normal position of the bucket parts and the dotted lines indicating the limiting position attained by the bucket parts as the silt is being loosened, detached, and discharged from same.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged end elevation` of the means for resetting or returning the bucket parts to their normal position after the silt has been loosened, detached and discharged from same.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation partly in section of the same means shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detailed side elevation of the hopper used for conducting the silt discharged from the buckets, this figure also showing a fragmental section of the wheel and guiding apron as the latter s being cleaned by the side walls of the hopper.

Fig. 13 isa front elevation of the hopper shown in Fig. 12, and additionally illustrates a section through a bucket in its discharging position.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan view of the conveying means showing the removable bottom sections whereby the silt may be discharged onto or at di'erent distances from the ditch bank. For purposes of clearness, portions of the conveyerA have been broken away.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the same conveying means shown in Fig. 14. For purposes of clearness, portions of the conveyer ave been broken away.

Fig. 16 is an end elevation of the .same conveying means shown in Fig. 14. l

Fig. 17 is an enlarged detailed view of a bottom section used in the conveyer and is shown detached from same;

Fig. 18 is an enlarged front elevation of the complete forming means for shaping the sides of the ditch, and shows the means for bracing and mounting same on the vehicle. l

Fig. 19 is an enlarged detailediplan of a portion of the forward truck. For purposes of clearness, portions have been broken away.

Fig. 2O is a front elevation of the saine portion of the forward truck shown in Fig. 19 Forpurposes of clearness, portions of the truck have been broken away.

Fig. 21 is an end elevation of the forward truck shown in Fig. 19. For purposesl of clearness, portions of the truck have been broken away.

Fig. 22 is an enlarged detail section taken along line w22-m22, Fig. 19.

Fig. 23 is an enlarged detailed section of themeans for vertically adjusting the silt removing means and the conveying means, and shows the arrangement whereby power is applied to effect either the upward or downward adjustment of said means. For the purposes of cleai'ness and economy of space, portions of the frame and other parts have been broken away.

Fig. 24 is a side elevation partly in`section of the same means shown in Fig. 23. For purposes of clearness and economy of space, portions of the frame and other parts have been broken away.

Fig. 25 is an enlarged detailed elevation of the triangular hanger whereby the silt removing'means is adjustably mounted on the vehicle and this figure shows additionally the driving means for Said silt removing means, and the silt conveying means.

Fig. 26 is an enlarged detailed plan of the triangular hanger shown in Fig. 25.

Fig. 27 is an enlarged detailed elevation of the triangular hanger whereby the conveying means is adjustably mounted on the j vehicle.

Fig. 28 is an enlarged shown in Fig. 27.

Fig. 29 is an enlarged front elevation of modified forming means which I sometimes contemplate using for shaping and cutting the sides of the ditch.

plan of thel hanger l meager Fig. 30l is a plan view of the modified forming means shown in Fig. 29.

Fig. 3l is a plan View of the positive return mechanism which I contemplate using for positively returning the bucket members to their normal position. The return mechanism is shown connected to afragment of a bucket. Y

Fig. 32 is a side elevation of the same positive. mechanism and shows the same attached to a bucket..

Fig. 33 is an enlarged fragmental side elevation of the cleaning or silt removing means shown in Fig. 6, with the addition of the positive return mechanism for the buckets.

The nature of the silted irrigation ditch is illustrated in Fig. 1 where my cleaner is shown in the course of operation. In this figure the forward portion of the cleaner is seen to be supported on the two ditch banks 1 and 2 rising above the normal land surface 3; and the altitude variations in the upper contours 4 and of the two banks respectively, show the character of path over which the cleaner sometimes passes. To the left of the broken line 6 the ditch bank 1 is broken away to show the original ditch bottom 7, the deposited silt 8, and the weeds and aquatic growths 9 on the sides of the original ditch. For purpose of clearness the water contained by the ditch is not indicated in this figure, and the section line along which the silt 8 is shown is taken through the center of the ditch. At the extreme left portion of Fig. 1 the ditch is shown having a perfectly straight, flat, cleaned and reformed bottom 10, and having cleaned and re-formed ditch sides 11, the same being shown as they appear after the ditch cleaner and former has operated on them.

Fig. 2 illustrates a transverse section across the ditch, and shows the original ditch contour by means of line 12. This line starts from the normal land surface 3, rises over the original ditch `bank 5, slopes radually downward .along the original ditc side 13 into the approximately Hat original ditch bottom 7, and then rises in the same manner over the original ditch bank 4 back to the original land line 3. The curved dotted line 14 extends across the ditch and shows the height and contour along which the silt 15 has been deposited onto the original ditch bottom 7 and original sides 13. The broken dotted line 16 illustrates the contour of the cleaned and re-formed ditch after operation of the cleaner and former, this line embracing the re-formed straight ditch bottom 10l and the comparatively steep re-formed straight ditch sides 11. The sectioned areas 17 and 18 in this figure represent the upbuilt portions which may be added on either side of the original ditch banks 1 and 2 by operation of my cleaner and former, these portions being hereinafter more particularly referred to.

N ow directing attention to my cleaner and former itself and viewing'it broadly as in Fig. 1, the same is seen to comprise a power-driven ditch vehicle 19, forming means 20 for forming the sides of the ditch, cleaning or silt-removing means 21 which will also form the bottom of the ditch, and silt-conveying means 22.

The ditch vehicle 19 comprises a mainframe 23 built up of four longitudinal channel beams 24, 25, 26 and 27, Fig. 3, lying arallel to the length ofsaid main frame. lhree cross beams 28, 29 and 30 of I-section are laid transversely of and attached by any suitable means 31 to the four said longitudinal channel beams, and bind the whole into a l rigid substantial main frame 23. Other suitable braces and crossieces 32 are riveted or otherwise suitably attached to this main frame for the purpose of affording a substantial support for auxiliary mechanism to be later described.

To the rear portions 24', 25', 26 and 27 of the longitudinal channels, respectively extending beyond the cross beams 30, is attached, by suitable U-bolts 33, the transverse hollow shaft 34 extending completely across the main frame, said shaft adjustably carrying the rear supporting wheels 35 on its outer extremities.

The two inner longitudinal channel beams 25 and 26 extend beyond the cross beam 28 and are riveted to and braced at their forward extremities by the members 36 and 37, thus forming the square forward projection 38 of the main frame.

To the lower side of this forward projection 38 is pivotally secured, by means 39 Fig. 4, the forward truck 40 Figs. 3 and 4, the said truck carrying near its extremities, the dirigible and transversely adjustable supporting wheels 41, the construction of said truck and wheels being hereinafter more fully described.

On both sides of the vehicle and below the ends of the cross beams 28 and 29, are secured guide-rods 42, and from each guiderod, together with the cross beam 30 is suspended the forming means 20 for operating on the ditch sides and banks.

The details of said forming means are best illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 18, and are seen essentially to comprise two novel knives 43 and 44, one for each side of the ditch. The surface of these knives is curved in a novel manner to adapt them to their particular service, but their basic surface, along which the cutting edge is formed,. and from which the curved portions extend, comprises a plane 45 Fig. 18 lying parallel to the length of the ditch and inclined inwardly and downwardly toward the ditch. Extending downwardly and rearwardly ditch sides along the portion 11 of line 16 Fig. 2,.thus forming the ditch side and giving same an inclination of substantially seventy degrees. Somewhat abovethe cutting edge 46 the 'aforesaid' downwardly and inwardly inclined basic plane 45 is .warped into a more or less vertical plane 48 thus removing the inward inclination of plane 45. This -warping is indicated by the'shadingin Fig. `18, and is gradual near the knife extremity 47 i land is -very abrupt near the rear of sai knife, so that the said plane. is perfectly vertical above and behind point 49 on the cutting edge, Figs. 1 and 18. Behind the point 49 the knife is continued into the rear extension 50, the lower portion of which lies ina perfectly vertical plane and the upper rearv portion of which is warped inward into the inwardly and downwardly 'deflecting portion 51. Y

The warp wherebythe inclined plane 45 1s curved into the vertical plane 48, and whereby the deflecting portion 51 is curved from said vertical plane, is practically continuous across the whole knife surface and causesY same to operate on the silt with a rolling p and delecting operation very similar to that caused by the mold-board of any ordinary plow. As the knifevis drawn forward-and the ditch sides are cut by the straight inclined edge 46 the silt isl guided along the inclined plane45 and isl gradually raised onto the substantially vertical knife plane 48. When the point 49 is reached the silt will have been completely turned from its inclined position and caused to assume a vertical position, and when the rear deflecting portion 51 isl reached said vertically standing silt will be rolled inward and somewhat downward toward the center of the ditch. .As will be hereinafter explained this inward and downward rolling of the cut silt will place samein a satisfactory position for the operation of the silt-cleaning or removmeans 21 which follows immediately behind the forming means 20.

The means whereby the knives 43 and 44 are adjustably attached to and drawn by the vehicle 19 will now be described.

Each knife is attached by rivets 52 to a knife hanger 53, the forward extremity of said hanger being bent into the upright portion 54 having therein an. aperture 55 adjusting aperturesv 61l through which pass bolts 62 whereby said horizontal portions are attached to eachv other. the horizontalv portions also rises a vertical angle section 63` pivotally secured to the same by pin 64 carried between clips 65, the latter being attached to said horizontal portions by bolts 66. Two similar vertical angle sections 67are attached to the aforesaid angle sections.'4 63 by means of bolts \\68 passing through a series of adjusting apertures 69 in one leg of each of theangle sectionsv 63 and 67. Theseupper angle sections 67 are pivotally attached to the cross beam 30 by means of pins 70 which are carri'ed between two clips 71 the same in turn being adjustably attached to the cross beam 30 by means of bolts 7,2. On the cross beam 30 a series of adjusting? apertures7 3 are provided for the attaching bolts 72, said series 73 bein spaced similar to the series 61 of the horlzontal angle portions 59 and 60.

Through the agency of the several foregoing series of adjusting apertures the knives 43 and 44. are susceptible to the adjustments following: Y

By passing bolts V62 through different apertures of the series 61 in the horizontal portions 59 and 60, and by passing the bolts 72 through the corresponding apertures ofthe series 73 in the cross beam 30, the rear portion of the knives 43 and 44 will be brought together, thereby varying the inv clination of said knives, since the forward supporting point on the guide bar 42 is not changed.

By passing the bolts 68 through different apertures of the series 69, the knives may be vertically adjusted to run at diiierent distances below the vehicle 19.

Sometimes also when the cleaner is traveling across country toor from ditches, or is crossing roads, bridges, etc., it is desirable and necessary that the knives 43 and ,44 be raised from their operative' position and such raising is provided for in the following manner.

The vertical sections 63 and 67 being pivotally connected tothe horizontal por be conveniently raised in this manner the ltwo cables 74 are provided, the same being attached to the horizontal portions 59 and 60 by any suitable means 75. These cables are carried around the idlers 76, Fig. 3, loosely mounted on shaft 77, this shaft being supported on the main frame 23 by means 'hand crank 84, whereby the shaft 80 and drums 79 may be rotated to wind up the cablesc74 and .raise the knives from their operative-position vup to the main frame 23 as aforesaid.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the means for forming the ditch sides may be conveniently operated and variously adjusted so as to most adequately coperate. with the cleaning or silt-removing means 21 'which follows immediately behind said forming means. l

Now directing attention to the said siltremoving means 21 it is seen that the same issupported by triangular hangers 85 and'86, Fig. 3, one on either side of said means 21. The details of these triangular hangers are shown in Figs. 25 fand 26, and the mode of mounting the same on the vehicle is shown in Fig. 3. Each hanger comprises a main channel or I-beam 87, an upright 88, a tierod 89 and a bracing or reinforcing extension including beams 90 and 91.

At one apex of the triangular hanger the beam 87 and the upright 88are attached to a box 92 having the sections 93 and 94, the latter being bound together by the U-bolts 95 carrying nuts 96, and the beam 90 is provided with a similar box 97. As indicated in Figs. 3 and 26 these boxes 92 and 97 are loosely and pivotally mounted on the hollow stationary transverse shaft 34 on the vehicle, and the whole hanger is secured against transverse motion on shaft 34 by means of the adjustable thrust collars 98 having setscrews 99, said collars being attached to shaft 34 on each side of each box 92 and 97.

At another apex of the triangular hanger the beams 87 and 91, and the tie-rod 89 are attached to the box 100 having the U-bolts 101 and the nuts 102. Each of the similar yhangers 85 and 86 is provided with such a box 100 and in said boxes is rigidly carried the hollow shaft 103. As will be hereinafter described the cleaning or silt-removing means 21 is rotatably mounted on said shaft 103 between the hangers 85 and 86.

At a third apex of the hanger the upright 88 and the tie-rod 89 are attached to a link 104 carrying the pulley 105 on the forward side of same. By means of the cables 106 and 107 running around the pulleys 105 of hangers 85 and 86 respectively, and operated in a manner hereinafter described, the said hangers may be pivotally rotated about the transverse shaft 34 so as to raise and lower the transverse shaft 103, thus eecting the vertical adjustment of the cleaning or siltremoving means 21. It will be seen that the link 104 has a downward projection 108 and by means of the rivets 109 passing through holes 110 in the projection 108 and upright 88, the said link may be fastened to said upright 88.

On each of the hangers is mounted certain power-transmitting mechanism as follows VTherotary shaft 111 is supported in the bearings 112 and 113 on beams 87, and 91 respectively, said shaft carrying two sprockV` ets 114 and 115, and a gear 116 on its inner extremity. By means to be hereinafter described power is suppliedV through sprocket 114 to the shaft 111 and is'transmitted on the outer end through sprocket 115 to the conveying means 22, and on the inner end through the gear 116 to the cleaning or silt removin means 21.

Now directing attention to the cleaning or silt1emoving means 21 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, the same is seen to consist essentially of a wheel 117 carrying the di viders 118 on its outer periphery and carrying the straight edged silt removing buckets 119 extending horizontally from each side of said wheel.

In the detailed views of Figs. 5 and 6, said wheel 117 is seen to comprise a flat cylindrical rim or drum 120 to which are attached the fiat annular sides 121. These sides are attached to the flat rim by rivets or other suitable means 122 passing through two angle-irons 123 and 124 running completely around and attached tothe inner side of rim 120.

At their outer extremities the bent wheel spokes 125 are attached to the flat annular wheel sides 121 and at their other extremities are attached by rivets 126 to a webbed steel cast hub 127.` These wheel spokes are mounted in pairs, each pair being bound together and reinforced by bolts 128, and being spaced apart by tubes 129 through which the bolts 128 pass. The steel hub 127 is provided with a central aperture 130 through which the wheel-supporting shaft 103 passes loosely and whereby the wheel and the silt-removing mechanism on same is rotatably mounted on the shaft 103.

This wheel, which is revolved `by mechanism hereinafter described, operates to clean the silt from that portion of the ditch lying immediately beneath the flat rim 120 by means of the dividers 118, which are adapted to plow into and divide or part said silt and remove the same beyond either of the wheel sides 121. These dividers comprise two angle-iron sections 131 and 132 respectively, one leg of said angle-iron sections being fastened to the flat rim 120 by rivets 133, and the other leg 134 extending outward radially from the rim 120 and performing the silt dividing and removing function of the element. The angle-iron sections 131 and 132 are bent and cut in such manneras to form the forward piercing and dividing projection 135,l the outwardly slanted faces 136 whereby the silt is propelled beyond the wheel sides, and the parallel trailing faces 137the latter lying iush with the wheel sides 121. rivets indicated at 138, Fig. 6, bind the forward piercing projections 135 together, thus securing the necessary rigidity to the divider sections. l

-It may sometimes be desirable to have access to the space between the flat rim 120 and sides 121, and to this end I provide at different points around rim 120 a series of hand holes 139, Fig. 5, the same being placed adjacent the dividers and between the sections 131 and 132 of same. The hand holes are closed by cover plates 140 which are fastened to the rim 120 by bolts 141.

The details of my novel telescoping silt removing and silt containing buckets 119 together with the mounting whereby the same are attached to the wheel sides, are best shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 13, and will now be described.

The bucket bottom, Fig. 9, is seen to comprise two members, the former 142 of which has a cylindrical portion 143 and a straight portion 144 extending tangentially from said cylindrical portion, and the latter 145 of which is cylindrically shaped and movably mounted on the first said member 142.

At its inner side the member 142 is turned upward and outward so as to form the attaching flange 146 whereby the counter-sunk rivets 147 rigidly and stationarily attach said member to the wheel side 121 and to the divider face 137. In order to properly brace the straight forward scooping edge 148 of the bucket bottom a portion of flange 146 has been reversed to form a short flange 149 attached to the divider face 137 by rivets 150. l/Vith this mounting it is seen that the wheel side 121 and the divider face 137 constitute a stationary inner side for the bucket bottom member A142, and the outer side of said`member is formed by aplate 151, Figs. 7 and 8, having the inwardly eX- tending flange 152. 'Ihe said ange embraces the bottom member 142 along its whole length and is secured thereto by rivets 153, Fig. 7. It will be understood from the foregoing that one member of the bucket comprises a bottom section 142, an outer side 151 and an inner side including the divider face 137 and the wheel side 121, andl that this bucket member is rigidlyrand stationarily mounted on the wheel 117.

Within this stationary bucket'member is movably mounted a second\movable member including an inner and outer side 153 and 154, Fig. 7, and the aforesaid cylindrical bottom member 145. These sides 153 Counter-sunkl and 154 have the shape vshown in Fig. 9 and an edge of each is bent inwardly to for flanges 155 lying along and being attached by rivets 156, Fig. 7, to the cylindrical bottom member 145.

In order that the outer side 154 of said movable bucket member may be pivotally mounted on the outer side 151 of the stationary bucket member, the stub bolts 157,

having nuts and washers 158 and 159, F ig. 7,

respectively, are passed through said sides 151 and 154 of said members repectively.

1n order that the inner side 153 of the said movable bucket member may be pivotally mounted upon the inner side of the stationary bucket member, means generally referred to as 160 is provided. This means has provision also for re-setting or rextending the movable bucket member to its normal positionon the stationary bucket "ride/rre extends rotatably through and behind thev wheel side 121 and is rotatively supported in the bearing casting 165, the latter being fastened to the wheel side 121 by rivets 166. The square portion 163 of pin 161 passes through a square aperture 167 in the inner side 153 of the movable bucket portion, said aperture 167 being adapted to lit snugly and non-rotatably onto the square pin portion 163. The nut 168 and washer 169 are fastened on the reduced cylindrical threadedportion 164 of the pin, and serve to securely bind the bucket side 153 against the pin shoulder 170.

It will be seen that the above-described portion of means 160 will serve to pivotally attach side 153 of the movable bucket member to the wheel side or stationary bucket side 121.

To insure the re-setting function whereby means 160 operates on the movable` bucket member, a strong resilient springl means 171 is positioned on the cylindrical pin portion 162. One extremity of said spring is bent into a loop 172 embracing a bolt 173, the latter passing radially through the pin portion 162. By means of a washer 174 and nuts 175 carried on bolt 173, the same is adapted to fiXedly bind loop 172 into posi-- tion on the pin portion 162. The other extremity of the spring means 171 is bent into a straight horizontal portion 176 which may 

